The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles 



habits, Carabi, 1 Cetoniae, Buprestes, Chry- 

 somelae, 2 rival and even surpass the mag- 

 nificent Dung-beetles in the matter of jewel- 

 lery. At times we encounter splendours 

 which the imagination of a lapidary would 

 not venture to depict. The Azure Hoplia, 3 

 the inmate of the osier-beds and elders by the 

 banks of the mountain streams, is a wonder- 

 ful blue, tenderer and softer to the eye than 

 the azure of the heavens. You could not 

 find an ornament to match it save on the 

 throats of certain Humming-birds and the 

 wings of a few Butterflies in equatorial 

 climes. 



To adorn itself like this, in what Golconda 

 does the insect gather its gems? In what 

 diggings does it find its gold nuggets? What 

 a pretty problem is that of a Buprestis' 

 wing-case ! Here the chemistry of colours 

 ought to reap a delightful harvest; but the 

 difficulties are great, it seems, so much so 

 that science cannot yet tell us the why and the 

 wherefore of the humblest costume. The 

 answer will come in a remote future, if in- 

 deed it ever comes completely, for life's 

 laboratory may well contain secrets denied 



1 Cf. Chapter XIV. of the present volume. 



2 Golden Apple-beetles. — Translator's Note. 



3 A genus of Cockchafer. Cf. The Life of the Fly: 

 chap. vii. — Translator's Note. 



274 



